Steps in writing a narrative article.

 (More detailed) steps in writing a narrative article.  Although this material has been discussed in earlier sections, it is important enough to re-state it here, as it applies to writing narrative articles. 
 
     Choosing a topic.  Before you do anything else, choose a topic that is interesting to you, and which has enough “raw material” for you to develop.  This is especially important in the “Conflict” and “Resolution of Conflict” sections. 
 
     Choosing a title.  Try to choose a title that either catches the reader’s attention, or which briefly summarizes the main idea of the story.           
 
     Brainstorming.  It is not necessary to “brainstorm” the overall outline of the narrative article, as it follows the same format (i.e., Title, Introduction, Setting (time), Setting (place), Characters, Plot Summary, Conflict, Resolution of Conflict, and Conclusion).  However, within each of these sections, you should write down all the ideas that you can think of.  It does not matter what order you write your ideas, as they can be sorted out and arranged later.  Also, if you do not know the English for some word, write it down quickly in Chinese; do not use the dictionary! 
 
     Writing the outline.  For each of the nine sections, look at the ideas you wrote down, and try to put them into some rational order.  Use key words, and not sentences.  For some sections, you will need to make a “mini-plan”, around which you can arrange your key words.  This outline can be expanded, depending on which direction you want your narrative article to go.  Again, write down any words you do not know in Chinese; do not use the dictionary. 
     After you have finished the plan, go back and translate anything you wrote in Chinese.  Research any missing information, or correct any faulty structure or logic in the outline.  Let some time go by, so as to let your ideas mellow out and improve.  (Conversely, if you try to do this stage the night before your homework is due, and when you are tired, you will probably turn out poor quality writing.)  Finally, when you are ready to write, what you want to say will come out more easily, as the plan will help you. 
 
     Writing the article.  Follow the plan, but also the demands of the content.  What does this mean?  Remember, in a narrative article, you are telling a story (whereas in an expository article, you are usually explaining or describing something).  Therefore, you are following the story-line, more than just following the structure of the article.  In telling a story, you must also consider variables such as tone, style, conflict, time, the relationships between the “players” in the article, and symbolic meanings.  When viewed from afar, the narrative article can follow a set course, like a river-bed; when examined up close, the parts of this article can wander in many different directions, like the “braiding” within the same river.  The length of the narrative article is determined by the content of the story, not by a pre-arranged framework (as in the 7 x7 plan).  Take as much time as is necessary to develop each set of key words into one sentence–or two, or three.  If certain key words need more than one sentence to explain them, then so be it.  When you are writing, put question marks (i.e., ?????) in places where you are not sure what you want to say–and move on!  You can come back to these “problem areas” later on.  If you are always stopping at places, because you do not know what you want to say, or how to say it, then you might lose your flow of thinking.  First, write down the main idea, and then, you can fill in the gaps.  Follow the overall structure of the nine parts, even if this seems artificial.  The discipline of using this familiar structure will help you to write narrative articles better, and also to analyze them.  (Most of literature follows this pattern.)  You may also end up reading literature better, as you can understand “how it works” more effectively.  In summary, the structure of the article is fixed, the ideas for the plan are carefully created, and the final language is synthesized. 
 
     Editing and revision of the 1st Draft of the narrative article (peer review).  After you have written the article, find a friend or classmate to review your 1st Draft.  Peer review is important, as it allows “another set of eyes” to evaluate what you have written.  It must be understood that such “peer review” is not linked to issues of “face”; it is a professional evaluation of what you have written.  Also, it is often easier for someone to find out another person’s writing style (and mistakes), rather than one’s own.  When looking over the 1st Draft, the reviewer should focus on issues of structure and content in the narrative article.  “Technical” mistakes can be largely overlooked at this stage. 
     One other point: the person who is doing the “peer review” must be completely honest and forthcoming.  The production of good writing is the only thing that really matters, and so the “peer review” should be done seriously.  (Remember: most Writing Class teachers do not really like to correct all those papers that come down like an avalanche every week; it is therefore up to you, the students, to help yourself as much as you can!) 
     When you get the article back from the “peer review”, re-write it, or change it on the computer, and print it out again.  I think that hand-writing it is better, as the very slowness of that process allows the brain to think more about the correct words to use.  However, if you have only a few corrections to do, why re-write it all for a few cosmetic changes?  I think that it is not a bad thing to have your “peer reviewer” tear your 1st Draft to pieces (figuratively), with red ink everywhere, paragraphs moved here and there, suggestions in the margin, and other advice at the end... which all mean that you will have to re-build and re-write the whole article!  “Writing is a process”, and this concept demands that you are willing to constantly change and re-work your text, until you get something you really like.  Do not forget to write the date, as well as the draft number (i.e., 2nd Draft, 3rd Draft, 4th Draft, etc.) on each draft, as this will allow you to see the evolution and progression of your writing.  This information is useful.  Please keep it for many years.  However, if you like to use the computer, then do so; please remember to write the date and draft number on each copy.  The “peer reviewer” should correct your work by hand, on paper, not on the computer. 
 
     Editing and revision of the 2nd Draft of the narrative article (peer review).  When you have re-written the narrative article, send it back to the “peer reviewer”.  This time, that person will look for the “technical” aspects of your article, such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other cosmetic issues.  Remember: this stage of the “peer review” is like a “final polish” (as when someone is cleaning your shoes on the street); it only has value if the fundamental requirements of writing have been met beforehand.  Of course, if there are other issues, then the “peer reviewer” will comment on them.  After you receive the article back the second time, then you can re-write it again, and give it to the teacher. 
 
     Other comments.  In addition to the basic demands of structure / content, and spelling / grammar / punctuation, there are other factors you can think about, to make the narrative text better.  (1) You can expand the sentences, to make them “better” (that is, more complex, or longer, or even simpler, or shorter).  (2) You can add on more sentences, to further develop an idea (in the earlier, “7 x 7" expository sentences, you cannot do this).  (3) You can add on some more ideas (within the framework of the section you are working within).  (4) You can re-organize your information. 
     By now, you can see that this process cannot be effectively carried out on the night before the next class!  If you want to take writing seriously, you must allow plenty of time to pass through the various steps in the process.  Remember, “Writing is a process”, not merely a product.  Many people think that if they just “write something”, then they will have what they need.  (Sometimes yes, but usually no.)  If you plan carefully, write thoughtfully, communicate diligently with the “peer reviewer”, and carefully maintain a willingness to remain “in dialog” with the text you are bringing into the world, then you will see that writing is indeed a process; you will also see that the results are valuable.  In a sense, this “process, over time” is more important than just making “immaculate documents, by next Monday”.  Also, you are trying to “develop your own (written) voice”, and not copy or emulate the writing of others (although there is some place for that, too).  If you are still having trouble after this, then ask for help. 
 
     I hope that you will enjoy writing narrative articles (typically book reports or film reports), and that you will discover more ways of finally creating your own narrative style!